🔐 Cypher - Blockchain Certificate Validator

Welcome to Cypher, a decentralized platform for issuing and validating certificates using blockchain and IPFS. Cypher ensures secure, tamper-proof certification by combining smart contracts, IPFS storage, and modern Web3 technologies.

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⚡️ Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run Cypher locally:

1. Install Dependencies

First, install the required dependencies including html2canvas and jspdf for PDF generation:

# Install project dependencies
npm install

# Install PDF generation dependencies
npm install html2canvas jspdf

# If you're using TypeScript, you might also want to install the type definitions
npm install --save-dev @types/html2canvas @types/jspdf

2. Firebase Configuration

1. Create a Firebase project at Firebase Console
2. Create a new web app in your Firebase project
3. Copy the configuration object from Firebase and create a new file at src/config/firebase.ts with the following content:

import { initializeApp } from "firebase/app";
import { getAnalytics } from "firebase/analytics";
import { getAuth } from "firebase/auth";
import { getFirestore } from "firebase/firestore";

const firebaseConfig = {
  apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
  authDomain: "YOUR_AUTH_DOMAIN",
  projectId: "YOUR_PROJECT_ID",
  storageBucket: "YOUR_STORAGE_BUCKET",
  messagingSenderId: "YOUR_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID",
  appId: "YOUR_APP_ID",
  measurementId: "YOUR_MEASUREMENT_ID"
};

const app = initializeApp(firebaseConfig);
const analytics = getAnalytics(app);
export const auth = getAuth(app);
export const db = getFirestore(app);

export default app;

Note: The firebase.ts file is included in .gitignore for security reasons. Make sure to keep a backup of your Firebase configuration.

3. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Dipesh-Dubey/cypher-certify-flow.git
cd cypher

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Create .env File

At the root of your project, create a .env file and add the following environment variables:

VITE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=<deployed_smart_contract_address>
VITE_RPC_URL=http://127.0.0.1:7545
VITE_CHAIN_ID=0x539

# Server-side only (do NOT prefix with VITE_)
PINATA_API_KEY=<your_pinata_api_key>
PINATA_SECRET_API_KEY=<your_pinata_secret>

4. Run Ganache

• Open Ganache and start a new workspace or quickstart project.
• Ensure it's running on http://127.0.0.1:7545.
• Use one of the accounts' private keys for MetaMask.

5. Configure MetaMask

• Import an account from Ganache using its private key.
• Add a custom network with the following details:
  • Network Name: LocalHost 8545 (default label)
  • RPC URL: http://127.0.0.1:7545
  • Chain ID: 1337
  • Block Explorer URL: (leave blank)

💡 If the wallet balance doesn’t show up, reconnect MetaMask to localhost using the above RPC settings and re-import.

6. Ensure External Services Are Running

• ✅ Pinata: Use the provided backend proxy (no secrets in the client).
• ✅ Firebase: Confirm Firebase services are properly initialized.
• ✅ API Server: npm run dev:server to start the backend proxy for Pinata at http://localhost:4000.

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🚀 Project Progress

✅ Features Implemented:

• Certificate creation and blockchain-based authentication.
• Storage of certificates on IPFS.
• Validation of certificates using smart contracts.
• Display of user-issued certificates on the homepage post-login.

🚧 Role-based access control (admin vs. user) is pending implementation.

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🐞 Known Issues / Bugs

🔁 MetaMask Glitch

• Problem: Wallet details (including RPC URL) need to be entered twice sometimes.
• Cause: MetaMask may fail to persist custom network data.
• Workaround: Use only the localhost:7545 connection and remove all other networks in MetaMask.

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📦 Recommended RPC Setup for MetaMask + Ganache

Parameter	Value
RPC URL	http://127.0.0.1:7545
Network Name	LocalHost 8545
Chain ID	1337
Block Explorer	(leave empty)

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🛠 Developer Notes

• Always clear unnecessary MetaMask connections to avoid network issues.
• Keep .env values up to date with contract and account changes.
• Only use the Ganache testnet (localhost:7545) for consistent behavior.
• Use npm run dev to start the frontend locally.

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📌 To-Do (Upcoming Features)

• Proper role-based separation between admin and users.
• Better MetaMask connection handling.
• UI enhancements for the certificate dashboard.
• Deployment to Polygon Mumbai or another public testnet.

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🙋‍♂️ Questions?

For issues with Pinata access or Firebase setup, contact us.

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Made by the Cypher Team.